Charles f



Patented July 26, I898. C. F. PYM.

LAST.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1896.)

(No Model.)

[NV/11 V 7 "(iii I By M i'rn CHARLES F. PYM, OF WINDSOR, CANADA.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N'o. 608,006, dated July 26, 1898.

Application filed April 27, 1896.

'its object an improvement in that class of lasts which are made in two parts hinged together above the hollow of the last in such a way that the last may be easily removed from the shoe that has been made or partly made over it.

Various forms of lasts have been designed intended to accomplish the result, in some of which the hinge-pin has been so placed with reference to the extreme rear extension of the heel and the extreme lower point where the upright part of the heel meets the sole part of the heel that the last-named point is farther away from the hinge than the first-named point, and consequently the entire length of the last lengthens when the attempt is made to bend the last at the hinge and there is difficulty in withdrawing the last from the boot.

In other lasts that have been made the difficulty just mentioned has been overcome by placing the hinge at a distance farther forward and holding the two parts together by a rod extended backward from the hinge-joint and through the heel part, this rod having a vertical play in a slot made in the toe part; but the joint thus made did not furnish sufficient stability, and the last with this joint soon broke under the strain that was put upon it in use.

In still other forms of hinged lasts the hinge was so constructed and arranged with reference to the toe part of the last that the heel part could be moved down below the plane of the toe part of the shoe when attempt was made to bend the last at the joint.

In my improved form of last I arrange the hinge-joint with reference to the heel-piece so that every part of the heel-piece is drawn away from the heel-piece of the shoe when fierial No. 589,216. (No model.)

the last is bent at the hinge; also, no part of the bottom of the last is thrown downward, but all parts rise from out the shoe without binding or catching itin any way, and there is consequently no strain between the shoe and the last in removing the last from the shoe. I also secure a long bearing between the two parts of the last, and employ as one knuckle of the hinge a plate with broad faces arranged vertically to the hinge-pintle, and this plate plays in a slot in one part of the last through the toe part or the heel part and provides a side bearing between the plate and that part of the last in which it plays that aids the pintle in holding the parts very firmly in place, so that the last withstands the rough usage to i which it is of necessity subjected.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a last having the wide or wooden knuckles on the toe part of the last and the thin plateknuckle on the heel part of the last. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the, last shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the last having the wooden knuckle on the heel part of the last and the thin plate-knuckle on the toe part of the last.

I employ in this last twin knuckles on one part and a single thin plate-knuckle on the other part. The twin knuckles are preferably made in the same piece with the part from which they project and fit into a corresponding cavity or hollow form in the other part.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the twin knuckles are on the toe part of the last and the hole for the pintle is a short distance above the sole and concentric with the upper and. outer quarter from a and b of the knuckle. The remainder of the face of the knuckle from. Z) to c is not concentric with the pintle, but departs from what would be a circular line in a line that is tangent to the circle concentric to the pintle 1. The concave face of the heel part that engages over this knuckle and which extends from (Z to c fits closely over that part of the knuckle with which it engages when the last is in position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. VVhenthe last is bent, theposition of the concave face from cl to 1) remains still in engagement with the face a b of the knuckle; but the remainderof the concave face, that part from b to c, is thrown upward and backward, the extreme lower point at c rises, leaving the insole, and the entire lastshortens. In the form shown in Fig. 3 the same result is arrived at by placing the long or wooden part of the hinge (the twin knuckles) on the heel part of the last. The other or single knuckle is made of the thin plate 2', preferably of metal, which engages between the twin knuckles 3, is inserted or inset into that part of the last with which it is connected, and held therein by the rivets or pins 5 6. In the other part of the last (in the toe part in Figs. 1 and 2) is a slot 7, adapted to receive the knuckle-plate 2 freely within it, but to engage closely with the side of the knuckleplate 2, thus furnishing a side bearing of considerably greater surface than that formed by the engaging faces of the twin knuckles and making the joint strong to withstand the side and twisting strains to which it is liable to be subjected.

The plate-knuckle 2 presents no obstacle tothe hole 6, in which is inserted the support on which the last is held when in use.

By making the curve 61 Z) of the concavity to fit quite closely to the curve ab of the twin knuckles, making an especially tight fit between these curves throughout those parts which are in engagement when the last is in the position shown in full lines and a somewhat looser fit when the last is in the position shown by the dotted lines, the two parts are held strongly in the position shown in the full lines and can be bent only with considerable difficulty, whereas as soon as the last has been bent a little Way the parts are free to move, and the remainder of the bending is done easily. Thus the hinge acts as a lock to hold the parts strongly together in their distended position.

What I claim is- In a hinged last, the combination of one part provided with twin knuckles projecting therefrom, said knuckles being separated by a slot that extends to the rear of the knuckles, a second part provided with a recess adapted to receive said knuckles, said recess and knuckles being so constructed as to bind and hold the two parts of the last in their straight condition, and to move freely upon being partially bent, a plate-knuckle secured to said second part and engaged in the slot between said twin knuckles,the pintle of said knuckles being located above the sole and fartherremoved therefrom than the knuckle radius, whereby (there is formed a stop that holds the parts in place when the last is unbroken, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. PYM.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, MARION A. REEVE. 

